I'll See You Later
by Anotherfacelessdemigod
Summary: Written for Gruniper Week. "Because all good things come to an end and they always have a price; and when you love someone they tend to fly away or die or both. But sometimes you gotta just put on a sad smile and say 'I'll be seeing you' because you will. Eventually. Sometimes, you just gotta let go." One shot, pretty good if I say so myself. Written because I have weird thoughts.


_Hey guys. It's Gruniper week! I think... it IS still Gruniper week, right? Oh, Zeus, who cares. Anyways, here's my fanfic. It's inspiration comes from the movie Beauty and the Beast._

_**I'll See You Later.**_

_Three times Grover helped Juniper; and one time she helped him._

* * *

_"We are not afraid of the darkness; we are afraid of the Illusion darkness gives."_

**~P.D. _((Preferably Dead))_**

* * *

**_|Giving Thanks|_**

* * *

_Juniper laughed, and Grover found himself absolutely captivated by the way her eyes lit up and how she threw her head back when she laughed, reddish~blond hair swaying in a breeze._

_He found himself wanting to hear that melodic sound, again._

_"Juniper," Grover said._

_"Yes, Grover?" She smiled._

_"You're really beautiful." His eyes widened at the realization of what he'd said. Oh Hera, they had just met! She was gonna be furious!_

_But to his surprise, the tree Nymph blushed, and tucked a strand of hair out of her eyes, "Thanks. You're handsome, yourself."_

_With that, Juniper disappeared, becoming a tree again._

_Grover sighed, for this was their first meeting._

_"Aphrodite, I swear..."_

Grover smiled at the memory of their first meeting; so much had happened since then. Now Juniper lay in her arms. He felt her eyes on him. "What is it, 'Niper?"

"You're cute when you're thinking." She muttered against his chest.

"Okay, Juni. What's REALLY wrong?" Grover sat up, making her look at him. His eyes were full of worry.

"It's night~time, Grover. Darkness is SCARY to me."

He held back a grin, remembering when he, too, used to fear blackness. Hades, sometimes the Satyr still did. "Ah," he said, putting on his best 'I'm~your~satyr~boyfriend~who~is~gonna~protect~you~even~if~the~freaking~minatour~attacks' face, he said, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you afraid of the dark?"

Percy Jackson had once asked him this. Grover had a hard time coming up with an answer.

_"Because the monsters are out, then."_

_"The stupid~" Percy said a non~PG rated word in Greek~"Are out in the day, too, Grov."_

_"... I guess, Perce." He'd sighed._

_"I guess."_

Juniper seemed to be stuck on that question, now. "I...," She met Grover's eyes, her own quite wide. "I don't know."

"Well then," her boyfriend out an arm around her, "Nothing to fear." He rubbed her arms affectionatly.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Helping me." She kissed him lightly.

"Ah. That." He kissed her forhead.

"All in my line of work, right?"

"Right."

* * *

_"Look, I don't know who you are or WHAT you want from me, but I do know that the girl I am protecting; She's the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm willing to do ANYTHING to help her."_

**~Person of Interest.**

* * *

_**|Wedding Dress|**_

* * *

"GROVER!" Her shrill scream echoed through the Camp, and Grover, who at the moment was with Annabeth, Percy, and Nico trying to play a game of poker, ducked his head,

Nico casually glanced at him, gave him a very rare, very Nico~like smile, and said, "I think someone's calling for you,"

Percy grinned and gave Grover a Sometimes~These~Girlfriends~Can~Be~A~Pain look, before saying, "Go on. Juniper needs you."

"It's okay. Catch up later?" Annabeth gave him a quick hug.

"Deffinatley!" And with that, Grover sprinted out of the room, furry behind and all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Oh, good, Grover you're here!" Juniper sighed in relief and pulled the boy into a small room made wholly out of twigs and leaves

"Grover, Kassandra is getting married!"

Grover's eye~brows raised in surprise, "Kassandra? You're cousin, Kassandra? The Oak Nymph?"

"Yep!"

"To who?"

"Harry."

Grover almost choked on the can he'd brought along, just~in~case. "HARRY? As in, my old friend?"

"That's the one!"

"I haven't seen him in, like, TEN years!" Grover's eyes grew wide.

"Grover! I need hellpppp!" Juniper groaned. "I can't figure out what to wear!"

"Wear the pink petal~like dress," Grover said immediatley. "It compliments your skin~tone and brings out the colour in your eyes~" he glanced at her wide blue eyes~"While going with your blond~red hair."

Juniper stared, "Grover Underwood, you are a life~saver! And my hair?"

Grover proceeded to walk around her, as if she were a work of art he were studying. Finally, he said, "My choice would be to put it in a loose bun with pieces framing your face, making it look fragile and soft. Maybe a flower branch in it?"

Juniper tackled him in a fierce hug, "Best boyfriend EVER! You'll be my date, right?"

"Anything for you, Juniper. I'd do anything top help you."

. . . . . . . . . .

The wedding was the next day. Grover and his friend had a nice reaunion.

Juniper (to Grover's joy and nervousness) caught the boquet.

* * *

_"Tale as old as time, true as it can be. Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectidely. Just a little change, small to say the least. Both a little scared, neither one prepared, Beauty and the Beast."_

_**~Tale as old as Time; of Beauty and the Beast.**_

* * *

_**|Holding On|**_

* * *

She laughed. Gods her laugh, it was so beautiful. He was in love with it. In love with her.

His left jacket pocket burned. He was so nervous. Grover and Juniper stood underneath the Big House, on the porch. Five years ago, he'd asked her out, right here. On this very spot.

She was so beautfiul. Oh Aphrodite.

_How am I supposed to do this?_

_"Well, I wouldn't know. Considdering I am a woman and all.."_

_"Shut it, Aphrodite. This is a man~to~man talk. Grover!"_

Was that.. Apollo? And Aphrodite? In head HEAD?

_"Oh, Athena gave us permission, darling. She being the goddess of smarts and all that useless stuff."_

There was yelling in Grover's mind as Athena called her sister some... creative names, and Grover smiled at Juniper, who was looking aroung taking everything in. "Where is everyone?" She asked.

Grover shrugged, _In the Big House._

_"Well don't TELL HER!"_

_I didn't, Apollo._

_"Grover, be a man~satyr and ask. Her."_

_How?_

_"I WILL send Clarrisse on you! Ares, baby, where are you?"_

_Gods, I'm good!_

_"Then ask her, you weener. Apollo out."_

_"Athena? Darling? We can talk about this in a rational wa~" _Static.

"Juniper, I love you." Holy Heaphasteus, had Leo lit the box on fire somehow? It was burning like crazy.

"I love you too, Grover. What's this about?" Confusion washed over Juniper's features.

"Remember I asked you out, five years ago? Right here?" (Why did the box in his pocket feel so insistant? What did Leo do, set it on fire? "It'll light up the wordl! He'd said. "Yeah? Well just make sure it doesn't light up my jacket.") Grover looked at Juniper, nervouslly running a hand through his gnarled red hair.

"Happiest moment of my life."

Whispers. Crap. The Aphrodite Cabin must be squealing. Grover started to panick.

"Same," He managed to squeak out. He couldn't do this. He... she was going to say no. Why shouldn't she say no?

But Grover wanted her, needed her, lusted her, _loved her,_ and so he sucked it up, locking eyes with her, and decided to screw his worries.

This was worth it.

"D~do you hear hat?" Juniper tried to peer into the Big House.

"Do you love me enough to see yourself having a future wiht me?"

Oh gods, why did she look shocked? Was she blushing? This could _not_ be good.

But instead Juniper nodded, and put a smooth hand on his rough cheek. "Of course, Grover."

Grover smiled. "Well then," He didn't notice anyone. He didn't notice the CHB campers tiptoe out of the Big House and settled around the porch (Percy and Anabeth right in front of him), or some random Hephasteus kid ("LEO VALDEZ! SERIOUSLY, FIREWORKS?" "Yeah, 'cause you too are making sparks fly. Get it? No? Okay..") setting up a spotlight, OR Chiron standing behind him.

Apparently Juniper noticed no one, either. She was gaping at her boyfriend. Why? Because~Holy Hera~_Grover freaking Underwood was on one freaking knee._

"G~grover?" She started to cry a little.

"I love you, Juniper." _Please say yes please say yes. _"I want to spend the rest of my days with you." _Come on don't cry just kiss me and say yes. _"I can't imagine living without you." _Aphrodite you made me fall way to freaking hard. _"Will... will you marry m~"

**_"YES!"_**

He was laughing, crying, kissing her. His~his gods~dang _faincee. _For the first time he notcied the cheering. Heck, even the Ares cabin smiled a bit. He spotted Annabeth and Percy. Percy seemed to be kissing her, and when they pulled apart, Percy whispered something in Annabeth's ear. She blushed madly, and Grover's best friend turned to shout "THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND EVERYONE" to just about all Olympus.

Finally, when Grover thought the screams would never end, Chiron stepped rforward and the cheering died down. The centaur placed a hand on each of the soon~to~be~married couple's shoulders. "Here is Grover Underwood and the soon~to~be Juniper Underwood. Both scared and unprepared, sure of one thing and one thing only: _that they love each other. _This is a tale as~well, a tale older than Zeus, per~say," (Loud thunder as Chiron had called Zeus old) "But a beautiful tale non~the~less, no matter how you tell it, no matter how twisted it is, because love is always love, unless it isn't." (nods of agreement here, even from Nico di Angelo) "My friends, love is what it is and what it always shall be; beautiful, open, reserved, and defind."

The cheering started again, louder than before.

* * *

_"Because all good things come to an end, and all good things come with a price; if you love something or someone, evetnually it'll die or fly away or maybe both, and, honestly the easiest thing you can do is just lete is go with a sad smile and say 'see you later' because you always will. What goes around comes around; what is meant to be is gonna happen."_

_ **A.N.F (Another Nameless Face)**_

* * *

_** |Letting Go|**_

* * *

He coughed. It was probably the quadrillienth cough of that month. _That single month._

Grover had caught some kind of ancient cirus while helping Percy in Ancient Greece, the Apollo campers had said. Juniper cried. But Grover _couldn't _die.

Her children, what would she tell her twenty~year~old son (about twelve in human years) and her flower Nymph daughter? Both of them were away at the moment. (Her daughter~who was older and already married~lived in Central Park)

Juniper knew Grover was old. He was not a day over fifty~eight in human years. But what about in Satyr years? Seventy~four. Juniper was his age (She'd become attached to her tree right before she met Grover), and she couldn't help but remember their wedding day.

_She wore a long, pink petal dress. It complimented her skin. Grover hadn't picked this one out. Annabeth was her leading lady, and Percy the Best Man._

_It had been beautiful, Hera herself as their Priestess. Chiron had taken pictures with them, "I love weddings." He told them._

_They kissed and the world melted. "Here is Mr. and Mrs. Underwood!" Hera said, before disappearing in a peacock~blue cloud of smoke._

_Percy proposed to Annabeth, and they got married six months later._

_They had four kids; two sons, and two twin daughter. Charlie Beckendorf Jackson (Percy's commemoration), the eldest, Silena Bianca Jackson and Sally Zoe Jackson (His mother was thrilled Annabeth had chosen those names), the two middle children, and the youngest one. Luke Nicolas Jackson (When Percy and Annabeth found out Nico's full name, they couldn't help it). The children were so beautiful._

_Then, Juniper and Grover's two kids. One was about Charlie's age, and the other one Silena and Sally's. The eldest, a girl, was Annabeth Elizabeth Underwood (For both Rachel~who'd helped with the decorations, she still loved art~and Annabeth, Juniper's best friend). The boy was Percy~Leo Grace Underwood (He didn't like his middle name, but Thalia did, and Grover HAD to name the boy Leo. Percy was satisfied sharing the first name.). They were such good children._

But now Grover layed there, dying. One day, an older Nico di Angelo stopped by.

Nico had never made it clear whether he'd married or not. Until he brought the young woman to camp. A daughter of Zeus, her relationship with him was a strange one, considering who their fathers were, but the two lovers didn't care. They had one daughter by the time Nico brought her (Bianca Teri di Angelo, after Nico's older sister, and his wife's~named Jasime~mortal mother.), and a son on the way. They planned to name him Percy di Angelo.

Of course, that was a long time ago. Nico and his family lived close by, now, with the Jacksons. But when Nico stopped by, Juniper had been alarmed.

He knew. About Grover. "I think... I can feel it. He's close, He should be dead." Juniper looked ready to cry, but to her amazement, so did Nico.

"Why won't he?"

"I.. I think someone's holding him back. They haven't given him their okay, so he's afraid to go. So he's still hanging around." Nico sighed, looking at the old satyr, who's short, ragged breaths made Nico turn away.

"I don't wanna lose him."

"I know."

"But I don't wanna hurt him."

"I know."

"So what do I do?"

Nico was younger than the Nymph, but wiser beyond his years. Slowly, as if his mind were reeling with thoughts, he said, "Jasmine once came home to me sick. I had a fever so bad I felt like I was on fire and naked in the North Pole at the same time. It was horrible. I was close to dying, Jasmine.. she told me she didn't want to lose me, but if I needed to go, then that was okay. I got better, but when she told me that, I felt.. releaved." He gave Juniper a quick hug. "Sometimes you just gotta give out a sad smile and say 'see ya later' because goodbye's suck, and because you need to let go after holding on for so long."

Nico left. Grover didn't. Juniper made her choice. "Grover, sweety?"

A groan.

"It's okay. I~if you want... well, I'm not holding you back. I want you to stay, I love you, but.. if you need to go, if you need to say 'see you later' then... that's all right." She started to cry. He reached out to grab her hand. He was shaking.

"I will always love you. I will always find you." He rasped. Each breathe made him weaker.

"Grover~"

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled. "I'll see ya later. Juni."

He stopped breathing.

. . . . . . . . . .

She doesn't remember much, anymore. But her tree is dying. So is she. She's happy. Percy and Annabeth, Rachel and Jasmine, they left.

_"See ya later."_

Nico held on a long time. He'd sometimes joke that he didn't wanna leave before her or Leo. But then Leo left, and Juniper swore that on every one of Jasmine and Nico's marriage anniversarry, he cried. Nico cried.

But he did let her go.

Leo and Percy had been his best friends. Leo in a more brotherly and past~linked sort of way, and Leo in a we~have~nothing~in~comon~yet~we~still~clicked sort of way. Believe it or not, Leo had married. But Juniper couldn't remember who he'd married, anymore. She could barely remember herself.

Nico and Juniper didn't really know why they talked to each other so much. Maybe because they had no one else to speak to. Their children left.

Finally, Nico died.

Finally, Juniper let go of him and watched him leave.

_"See ya later."_

Finally, Juniper let her sad smile gently fade. Her tree finally died. She finally let go. Thalia had never visited, Thalia didn't even know about Nico.

Juniper let go of what she was holding on to.

_"I'll see ya later."_

The last of the non~immortal heroes were dead.

_I'll see you later._

* * *

_The end. Inspiration to I'll See You Later goes to Beauty And The Beast, and to a pretty sucky day. Time for ice~cream and a The Lion King marathon. Reviews help._

_Yours in demigodishness and sucky days, Jay, Daughter of Zeus, out._


End file.
